Ultimate Slow Roast Lamb Recipe: Best Lamb Shoulder Technique (2024)

FAQs

What temperature should lamb shoulder be cooked at? ›

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150C to soften the meat.

Lamb shoulder is usually larger and has more connective tissue, so it needs to be cooked for longer than the leg before it becomes tender. Lamb leg is smaller and has less fat and connective tissue, so it cooks faster but it can be drier if it's overcooked or not cooked in enough liquid.

Each slow cooker meal's cooking time differs depending on the meat and its weight. The low setting is important so you don't overcook it, potentially leaving you with a dry or tough meal.

Whether boneless or bone-in, the perfect leg of lamb should be either oven-roasted until blushing pink on the inside (with an internal temp around 130°F) or roasted long and slow for several hours until the meat is very tender and falls apart to internal temp around 175°F (I often use the slow cooker for that).

Collagen begins to break down at 185 degrees F. If you are cooking a pork shoulder, lamb shoulder or beef brisket you will want to cook them to about 195 degrees and then let them rest. Typically, they will carry over to about 205. By that time your meat should be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers.

Lower temp = more succulent meat – Tough cuts like lamb shoulder need slow-cooking to tenderise them. The lower the roasting temperature, the less total moisture evaporation and thus juicier meat. 3-hour lamb is cooked at 180°C/350°F, while the 12 hour lamb is cooked at only 100°C/212°F.

For lamb that oozes exquisite scrumptiousness you should baste your meat every 15 minutes while it is cooking in the oven. Basting is when you pour the juices and fat that have escaped from the meat back over the meat to keep it moist and add flavour.

It can be traditionally roasted but is best slow-roasted, pot-roasted or braised with liquid until practically falling apart. Shoulder can also be diced for stewing, or cut into shoulder chops. A pre-sliced roast is convenient, but it tends to dry out in the oven.

Ideal Cooking Methods: Due to its higher fat and connective tissue content, the lamb shoulder shines when subjected to various slow-cooking methods. Braising, stewing and slow roasting break down its tissues, rendering the meat succulently tender.

Do you need to brown lamb before slow-cooking? ›

Brown the lamb first, in batches if necessary. This will maintain a high heat in the pan and caramelise the juices, which will improve the colour and flavour of the meat. Although lamb is a little more fatty than other meats, don't trim all of it away before cooking.

After three hours take the lamb off the BBQ and wrap tightly in foil (or butchers paper if you prefer), return the BBQ and cook for another two hours - at this point it's fine to let the temperature creep up to around 135C/275F, the foil and moisture trapped within the package will insulate the meat well and will ...

There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.

If it is not tender the collagen has not broken down fully. Make sure the temp is low on your crockpot not medium or higher. After you cooked it there's not a lot you can do, but learn from your mistakes, next time lower the temperature and cook for longer. Any meat, the slower you cook it the more tender it will be.

Cover the tray tightly with a double layer of tin foil and place in the oven. Turn down the oven temperature to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3 and cook for 3½ to 4 hours, or until the lamb is soft, melting and sticky and you can pull it apart with a fork. Gently break up the meat, pull out the bones, and extract any herb stalks.

Your looking for an internal temperature of 203f/95c. Every cut will be a little different so check intermittently and probe for tenderness. Once the internal temperature has been reached, remove from the smoker and rest (wrapped) for 30mins. Pull when you are ready to serve.

In our experience, we found most lamb cuts, whether a rack of lamb or lamb loin chops, taste best when served medium rare. So, the meat's internal temperature should reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius). It will have a nice, juicy pink center, and seared exterior.